Ski binding

ABSTRACT

A ski binding comprising a toe iron, which is pivoted on an axis that is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ski, and a notched bar, which is fixed to the ski and into which a cable holder can be selectively hooked, the notched bar and the pivotal mount for the toe iron being provided on a common base, which is adapted to be secured to the ski and consists preferably of plastics material.

United States Patent Burger Feb. 4, 1975 [5 SK! BINDING 3388.918 6/1968 Hollenbuck 280/1135 Y inventor: Simon Burger, Dachau, Germany [73] Assignee: Heinrich Wunder KG, Dachau, 409,731 10/1966 Switzerland 280/1135 Y Germany [22] Filed: Aug. 13, 1973 Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr.

Assistant Examiner-Michael Mar [21] Appl 387658 Attorney, Agent, or Firmlmirie, Smiley & Linn [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 16, 1972 Austria 7050/72 [57] ABSTRACT A ski binding comprising a toe iron, which is pivoted [52] Cl 280/1135 280/1135 on an axis that is transverse to the longitudinal direc- 280/1135 Z tion of the ski, and a notched bar, which is fixed to the [51 1 Int. Cl. A63c 9/083 ski and into which a cable holder can be Selectively [58] new of Search 280/1135 Pi hooked, the notched bar and the pivotal mount for the 280/1135 11-35 I 1 toe iron being provided on a common base, which is 280/1135 R adapted to be secured to the ski and consists preferably of plastics material. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 2,382,783 8/1945 Eigenheer 280/1135 Z PATENTEDFEB sum 2 or 2 PIC-3.3

1 SKI BINDING SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A ski binding which comprises a heel cable and a toe iron, which is pivoted on a transverse axis to a base which is secured to the ski and which carries a notched bar into which the heel cable is adapted to be hooked.

This invention relates to a cable binding which comprises a toe iron, which is pivoted about an axis that is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ski, and a notched bar, which is secured to the ski and into which a cable holder is adapted to be hooked.

Ski bindings of this kind enable a convenient control of the ski when the skier is climbing or is skiing on a level surface and during a downhill run.

In a known binding of the type which has been described, the cable holder is hooked into the notched bar of a tightener, which is disposed before the toe portion of the skiing boot. and said toe portion bears on an angled stop. which is disposed in front of the toe portion and pivoted about an axis that is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ski; the stop permits of a lifting of the heel of the boot by about 45. This cable binding has the important disadvantage that the toe holder and the means into which the cable holder is hooked. i.e., the tightener, must be mounted on the ski independently of each other. This requires a complicated and time-consuming assembling operation, in which a large number of screws must be screwed into the surface of the ski so that the same is damaged to a high degree. Finally, that binding comprises two parts at the toe portion of the boot and for this reason involves high manufacturing costs.

It is an object of the invention to provide means with which these disadvantages can be eliminated in a cable binding of the kind described first hereinbefore. According to one feature of the invention, the notched bar and the pivotal mount for the toe iron are carried by a common base, which is to be secured to the ski. Finally it is a feature of the invention that the base consists of plastics material.

Further details of the invention will be explained with reference to the drawing, which shows by way of example an embodiment of the ski binding according to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a top plan view and FIG. 2 a side elevation showing the ski binding according to the invention with a fore tightener.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the base.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The ski binding shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a toe iron I for holding the toe portion of the boot. The toe iron comprises a sole plate 2, which is provided at its side edges with upstanding lugs 3, to which a bent wire member 4 is secured, which bears on the edge of the sole and has rearwardly extending end portions, which are angled downwardly to provide cable guides 5. A plate 6 for use in cross-country skiing is secured to the sole plate 2 and is provided at its rear end with a cable guide 7. The toe iron 1 is pivoted about a pivot 11, which extends transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ski. to a substantially platelike base 10, which consists preferably of plastics material and is secured to the ski 9 by screws 8. For this purpose the lugs 3 are provided with eyelets 12, which protrude in the longitudinal direction of the ski. Each of the eyelets 12 is disposed between two eyelets 13, which protrude upwardly from the base 10 and have openings which register with the opening ofthe eyelet 12. Short pins defining the pivotal axis 11 extend through the eyelets l2 and I3.

A heel cable 14 is guided in the guides 5 and 7 and has two forward end portions, which extend under a bridge portion I5 of the base 10 in a slot 19 of the latter. The heel cable 14 is pivoted to a screw 16 of a fore tightener 17 at 18. The bolt 16 is pivoted to the tightener lever 20 by a pivot pin M, which when the tightener I7 is open is nearer to the lower than to the upper end of the tightener lever 20 and provides an abutment for the tightener spring 22, which with its other end bears on a nut 23, which is adjustable along the screw. The above-mentioned lower end of the tightener lever 20 is provided with laterally protruding pins 24, with which the tightener 17 can be hooked into the notches 25 of notched bars 26, which are integral with the base 10 and protrude upwardly from the latter so as to provide a guide for the tightener. The notches 25 of the notched bars 26 are downwardly inclined toward the toe portion of the boot.

A heel holding-down member 27, known per se, is secured to the rear end of the heel cable 14 and intended to be engaged with the heel of the boot.

Because the tightener I7 is locked in accordance with the invention to the base 10, the binding can easily be adapted to the skiing conditions by a readjustment of the heel cable in consideration of the size of the boot.

What is claimed is:

l. A ski binding for detachably securing a ski to a skiing boot, comprising a sole plate having a surface for supporting the boot, means for pivotally connecting the sole plate to the ski adjacent to the toe portion of the boot about an axis which is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ski, said sole plate being provided with means adapted to hold the toe portion of the boot on the sole plate and to follow the movement of the toe portion ofthe boot about said transverse axis, a flexible cable which is detachably secured with respect to the ski in front of said sole plate and extends on the sides of said sole plate rearwardly and around the heel portion of the boot, a notched bar, which is disposed in front of said sole plate and extends along the longitudinal center line and serves for a detachable fixation of said cable, means provided on said cable and adapted to be hooked into notches of said notched bar, said notched bar forming part of a base, which is adapted to be secured to said ski and carries said means for pivotally connecting said sole plate, said notched bar having notches which are downwardly inclined toward the toe portion of the boot and said cable being hooked into said bar by means of a tightener which has laterally protruding pins adapted to be inserted into said notches, said cable being pivoted to a screw of the tightener and said screw being pivoted to a tightener lever at a point spaced from the pivot for the cable toward the toe portion of the boot, said tightener lever carrying said pins for engaging said tightener with the notches of said notched bar.

2. A ski binding for detachably securing a ski to a skiing boot, comprising a sole plate having a surface for supporting the boot, means for pivotally connecting the sole plate to the ski adjacent to the toe portionof the bootabout an axis which is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ski, said sole plate being provided with means adapted to hold the toe portion of the boot on the sole plate and to follow the movement of the toe portion of the boot about said transverse axis, a flexible cable which is detachably secured with respect to the ski in front of said sole plate and extends on the sides of said sole plate rearwardly and around the heel portion of the boot, a notched bar, which is disposed in front of said sole plate and extends along the longitudinal center line and serves for detachable fixation of said cable, means provided on said cable and adapted to be hooked into notches of said notched bar, said notched bar forming part of a base. which is adapted to be se' cured to said ski and carries said means for pivotally connecting said sole plate, said base and notched bar constituting an integral part of plastics material including a bridge, which is disposed at the center of the length of that edge of said base which faces the boot and through which said cable extends.

3. A ski binding for detachably securing a skiing boot to a ski, comprising a base member adapted to be fixedly attached to a ski, hinge means protruding upwardly from a rear portion of said base for pivotal movement about an axis which is transverse to the longitudinal center line of said base member, a sole plate connected to said base member by said hinge means for pivotal movement about said transverse axis and having means adapted to hold the toe portion of the boot on the sole plate so as to constrain movement of the boot about said transverse axis, a flexible cable extending on the sides of said sole plate and adapted to pass around the heel portion of the boot, notched bar means protruding upwardly from said base member and aligned longitudinally thereon for detachably coupling said cable to said base member so as to secure the boot to said sole plate, the lateral disposition of said notched bar means being symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal center line of said base member, and said notched bar means and said hinge means being integrally formed with said base member in predetermined fixed relationship whereby said binding may be readily attached to the ski by said base member.

4. A ski binding as set forth in claim 3, wherein said notched bar means has notches which are downwardly inclined toward the toe portion of the boot and said cable is hooked into said bar by means of a tightener which has laterally protruding pins adapted to be inserted into said notches.

5. A ski binding according to claim 4, wherein said notched bar means comprises two notched bars which define between them a guide for said tightener.

6. A ski binding as set forth in claim 3, wherein said base member, said notched bar means, and said hinge means constitute an integral part of plastics material.

7. A ski binding as set forth in claim 6, said integral part further including a bridge centrally disposed at an edge of said base member which faces the boot and through which said cable extends. 

1. A ski binding for detachably securing a ski to a skiing boot, comprising a sole plate having a surface for supporting the boot, means for pivotally connecting the sole plate to the ski adjacent to the toe portion of the boot about an axis which is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ski, said sole plate being provided with means adapted to hold the toe portion of the boot on the sole plate and to follow the movement of the toe portion of the boot about said transverse axis, a flexible cable which is detachably secured with respect to the ski in front of said sole plate and extends on the sides of said sole plate rearwardly and around the heel portion of the boot, a notched bar, which is disposed in front of said sole plate and extends along the longitudinal center line and serves for a detachable fixation of said cable, means provided on said cable and adapted to be hooked into notches of said notched bar, said notched bar forming part of a base, which is adapted to be secured to said ski and carries said means for pivotally connecting said sole plate, said notched bar having notches which are downwardly inclined toward the toe portion of the boot and said cable being hooked into said bar by means of a tightener which has laterally protruding pins adapted to be inserted into said notches, said cable being pivoted to a screw of the tightener and said screw being pivoted to a tightener lever at a point spaced from the pivot for the cable toward the toe portion of the boot, said tightener lever carrying said pins for engaging said tightener with the notches of said notched bar.
 2. A ski binding for detachably securing a ski to a skiing boot, comprising a sole plate having a surface for supporting the boot, means for pivotally connecting the sole plate to the ski adjacent to the toe portion of the boot about an axis which is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ski, said sole plate being provided with means adapted to hold the toe portion of the boot on the sole plate and to follow the movement of the toe portion of the boot about said transverse axis, a flexible cable which is detacHably secured with respect to the ski in front of said sole plate and extends on the sides of said sole plate rearwardly and around the heel portion of the boot, a notched bar, which is disposed in front of said sole plate and extends along the longitudinal center line and serves for detachable fixation of said cable, means provided on said cable and adapted to be hooked into notches of said notched bar, said notched bar forming part of a base, which is adapted to be secured to said ski and carries said means for pivotally connecting said sole plate, said base and notched bar constituting an integral part of plastics material including a bridge, which is disposed at the center of the length of that edge of said base which faces the boot and through which said cable extends.
 3. A ski binding for detachably securing a skiing boot to a ski, comprising a base member adapted to be fixedly attached to a ski, hinge means protruding upwardly from a rear portion of said base for pivotal movement about an axis which is transverse to the longitudinal center line of said base member, a sole plate connected to said base member by said hinge means for pivotal movement about said transverse axis and having means adapted to hold the toe portion of the boot on the sole plate so as to constrain movement of the boot about said transverse axis, a flexible cable extending on the sides of said sole plate and adapted to pass around the heel portion of the boot, notched bar means protruding upwardly from said base member and aligned longitudinally thereon for detachably coupling said cable to said base member so as to secure the boot to said sole plate, the lateral disposition of said notched bar means being symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal center line of said base member, and said notched bar means and said hinge means being integrally formed with said base member in predetermined fixed relationship whereby said binding may be readily attached to the ski by said base member.
 4. A ski binding as set forth in claim 3, wherein said notched bar means has notches which are downwardly inclined toward the toe portion of the boot and said cable is hooked into said bar by means of a tightener which has laterally protruding pins adapted to be inserted into said notches.
 5. A ski binding according to claim 4, wherein said notched bar means comprises two notched bars which define between them a guide for said tightener.
 6. A ski binding as set forth in claim 3, wherein said base member, said notched bar means, and said hinge means constitute an integral part of plastics material.
 7. A ski binding as set forth in claim 6, said integral part further including a bridge centrally disposed at an edge of said base member which faces the boot and through which said cable extends. 